Is face-to-face study better than online study?

This is a very common question. A few years ago when online study first commenced the answer would probably have been yes. But with the innovation in online training it has become a fantastic way to study. The online system is easy to use, interactive and engaging and includes webinars where you can talk to your tutors and other students regularly throughout the course. You have access to our full-time support staff who can assist you with clarification of any topics or assessments.

Therefore, the choice to study either face-to-face or online is really one of personal choice as both options are great ways to study.

How am I supported through my course?

Our student support team ensure you receive all the help you need to get you through your studies. Students studying online can simply send an email or pick up the phone to gain the support they need. Throughout the online course there are regular webinars which are like a live interactive tutorial. All of our student support staff are highly qualified and experienced fitness professionals.

The support to you does not just occur throughout your studies. We continue to offer support upon course completion with access to current career and job opportunities, advice on setting up your own business and regular Alumni Newsletters to keep you in the loop with what’s happening in the fitness industry well after you have completed your studies.

Students can also access their online course resources for an additional 12 months after they have completed their qualification.

Why should I enrol with AFA instead of another educational provider?

With over 25 years of fitness education experience we are the leaders in fitness education and our levels of student support are second to none (as outlined above). Here’s some more great reasons why students choose to study with us.

Networking opportunities. We have extensive industry links with the larger National gym chains as well as smaller local fitness centres and PT studios. Take full advantage of the career and job opportunities that are promoted through our links. Visit the AFA Alumni job board, and Sports People job board to see the huge number of fitness centres that advertise their jobs with us.

Access to first class presenters and support staff. You can be confident that when you contact us you will be speaking to a highly qualified and experienced fitness and education professional.

Our graduates recommend us! We have a very high rate of referrals from graduates within the industry and from gym and PT Managers. Why? Because they have studied with us and know we deliver first class education. They know our level of support and quality course content are second to none.

What are the job opportunities and prospects within the fitness industry?

More and more people are taking out Fitness Centre memberships and using personal trainers to achieve their fitness goals.

Employment opportunities are many and varied including larger fitness centres, personal training studios, outdoor bootcamp training, local government leisure centres, corporate fitness facilities, community health centres, hotels, resorts and more. Currently, there is more demand for personal trainers than ever before. If you’ve ever thought of undertaking a fitness course, there has never been a better time to do so.

Over many years, we have set up relationships with key businesses and governing bodies to help you enter the fitness industry as easily as possible. We run regular careers information sessions, have strong partnerships with industry and well established employment pathways in place to help make your transition from study to career an easy one.

What is the difference between qualification and registration?

Qualification is the formal training process that ends up in you gaining the competency of skills to work as a Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer. The Certificate III in Fitness and Certificate IV in Fitness are national qualifications within the Australian Qualifications Framework.

Registration is the industry based recognition of the qualification. Students are able to register with either Physical Activity Australia or Fitness Australia and registration is the accepted industry requirement for employment. Registration is valid for 2 years and includes ongoing education requirements. Both registration bodies also help you with setting up your required insurance coverage.

Are my qualifications recognised Internationally?

If you are planning on working overseas the International Confederation of Registers for Exercise Professionals (ICREPs) is a partnership between registration bodies from most of the major countries offering fitness industry services. Fitness Australia is part of this international partnership.

Current members of ICREPs include New Zealand, Australia, UK, South Africa, Ireland, Canada and the UAE, and collectively they have over 60,000 exercise professionals registered.
Australian Fitness Academy courses meet the standards required by ICREPS.

If I sign up for both Certificate III and IV in Fitness do I get a discount?

Do I need to do work experience as part of my course?

Yes, the work experience / practical placement is an extremely valuable component of the course as it assists in the development and application of your skills and knowledge. It is completed at an approved facility where you will be supervised by a qualified professional (eg. fitness instructor/personal trainer) while you complete structured practical tasks from the AFA Work Experience Manual.

The tasks within the program are designed to give you the opportunity to refine your practical skills in a work environment under the guidance of a qualified and experienced exercise professional.
We also find that many facilities use the work experience placement as an opportunity to assess our students to be a future employee. It is common for students to be offered employment if they have impressed throughout the work experience placement.

How many hours of work experience do I need to complete?

The practical placement / work experience hours are completed throughout your course.

Certificate III in Fitness – 32 hours are completed at an approved fitness centre, under the supervision of a qualified personal trainer. Additional hours may be required to write up the assessment tasks completed during the placement at the facility

Certificate IV in Fitness – 30 hours are completed at an approved fitness centre or PT facility under the supervision of a qualified personal trainer. Additional hours may be required to write up the assessment tasks completed during the placement at the facility

The Certificate IV also includes the completion of the Professional Practice Log Book. It includes participation in activities and personal training of your friends or family.

For more information on the practical placement / work experience program including how to arrange an approved facility and supervisor, please contact our student support team on 1300 973 342.

Do I have to pay a facility or a qualified fitness professional to complete my Work Experience hours with them?

No. Most facilities are very open to accommodating work experience placement students. Supervisors volunteer their involvement in the Work Experience program so you are not expected to pay them for this service. There is also a benefit to the personal trainers of supervising work experience placements. They receive credits towards their on-going registration with Fitness Australia for the hours they supervise and AFA also offers them incentives on our wide range of professional development courses.

Most students are able to complete the practical placement / work experience at their local facility, depending on the services it offers and the qualifications of the trainers.

Do I need to take out insurance to complete the work experience program?

Yes. Each student must obtain and hold a current student insurance policy. It is very easy to arrange. Fitness Australia and Physical Activity Australia offer FREE fitness insurance for students throughout their study period which includes $10 million professional indemnity, public liability and products liability cover, and up to $100,000 legal fees cover. More details on the process to gain insurance are given to students during their study.

How am I assessed throughout the course?

Course assessments include work experience placement, practical demonstrations, instructor / client role plays, case studies, written assessments and online quizzes. Upon enrolment students are given a Training Plan which outlines all study and assessment requirements.

What other courses do you offer?

Apart from the Certificate III in Fitness and Certificate IV in Fitness, we offer First Aid and a range of workshops for ongoing educational development and industry re-registration. These cover a variety of topics including nutrition, functional training, advanced strength training, exercise and pregnancy, etc. Our CEC Courses.

You are welcome to contact our Careers Consultants on 1300 973 342 for more specific information in regards to any of our courses.

Do I need any qualifications before starting the course?

There are no prerequisite qualifications for the Certificate III in Fitness. Our Careers Consultants will conduct a pre-training review with you prior to enrolment to ensure you have the capability to complete the course and have selected the best delivery method to suit your circumstances. They will also clarify any questions you may have about online or face to face training, course fees, funding eligibility, etc.

Specific units within the Certificate III are a pre-requisite to the Certificate IV in Fitness. Enrolment into the Diploma of Fitness also requires completion of the Certificate IV and relevant industry experience.

I have completed previous study in fitness and am wondering if I can apply for RPL?

Applicants who have completed studies in allied areas to health and fitness or have relevant work or life experiences may be eligible for RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) / RCC (Recognition of Current Competency).

This involves matching the skills and knowledge acquired from formal learning and experience against the requirements of this course. If the information presented is relevant then some units within the course and related assessments may not need to be completed.

Can I get help with funding for my course?

There is a limited amount of funding available if you meet the eligibility requirements. Our careers consultants have years of experience within the industry and can advise you on the options available to you. These include:

Queensland Certificate III Guarantee – available for permanent residents of Queensland. Eligibility Criteria applies. For more information on this click here.

Centrelink – Students may be eligible for financial assistance through Centrelink. For further information on eligibility for Youth Allowance, Austudy or Abstudy contact Centrelink on 13 24 90 and quote the Australian Fitness Academy reference number 3P322.

Do I need to be fit to participate in the courses?

You don’t complete a fitness test prior to enrolling! However, it is recommended that you have a reasonable level of fitness as you will be required to participate in practical activities throughout the course.

Most students are looking to gain employment in the fitness industry so there is an expectation you will promote a fit and healthy lifestyle.
The courses are also suitable for people who just want to find out more about fitness and exercise to increase their own knowledge and help them train more effectively themselves.

Do I need to complete a first aid course?

First Aid Training is a requirement for all students studying the Certificate III in Fitness. We deliver the current nationally recognised First Aid course at regular times throughout the year in Melbourne. The practical components are completed in a workshop (1 day) and there is some additional online study.

Alternatively, students can complete the first aid course with another provider and supply AFA with the relevant documentation to obtain a credit for the unit.

For more information on the First Aid course, please click here or to make an enquiry please click here

How quickly can I start?

Students wishing to study online can enrol onto the next course commencement date, which fall on the 1st and 15th of each month. Once all required paperwork and deposit payments are complete, students are given access to the Learner Management System on their course commencement date.

Face-to-face students have options for commencing throughout the year. We have several intakes each year, so you will only need to wait a couple of weeks before the next course starts. Check the course page for when the next on-campus start dates are.

What if something happens or I change my mind about doing a fitness course?

Upon enrolment, students are given up to 28 days cooling off period in which they can retract their enrolment, however the initial $100 deposit will be forfeited. Students will receive a 50% refund of any payments made through direct debit during this period.

There may be extenuating circumstances to which this can be reviewed, but this will be on a case-by-case basis. Our refund policy is explained in the Student Handbook.

What happens if I can’t make it one day to campus?

Firstly, we can assist you to make up the class by reviewing the relevant resources on our Learner Management System.

While we expect 100% attendance for all courses, we understand that in some circumstances this is not always possible. If you are unable to attend class, please let our student support team know. It’s our job to get you through your course so ensure you stay in contact with us throughout your studies.

In the case of illness that requires you to miss more than one class in succession, a Doctor’s certificate is required. All other absences will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

How will my assessments be marked?

Our assessors will provide you with loads of constructive feedback on your assessments to assist your learning. Assessments are marked as ‘Satisfactory (S) or ‘Not Satisfactory’ (NS). If your assessment is marked as NS you will be given the opportunity to discuss it with our student support team and resubmit it. There are no additional fees for the resubmission.

We aim to have written assessments back to students with feedback within 10 working days of submission. The assessor’s feedback is provided to you via our Learner Management System. It will appear as a feedback file with the assessor’s comments throughout. Just download the feedback and click on the yellow comment bubbles to see your detailed feedback.

The online quiz assessments are submitted and marked immediately via an automated process.

What IT requirements are there for completing the course?

All of our course materials are compatible with standard versions of Windows and Mac computers. Students will be required to download Adobe Reader (a free download) as a minimum to view pdf documents. This can be downloaded at https://get.adobe.com/reader/.

All students will need a laptop, tablet or smartphone to complete their studies and should refer to the Student Handbook for a complete list of IT requirements.

Our LMS is compatible with Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Opera, and Internet Explorer. Whichever browser you prefer, please use the most up-to-date version available to ensure that everything on the site operates properly.

For watching videos, please ensure you have the most up-to-date Flash Player installed and have the video link white listed from virus software and Firewalls.

I have a job lined up when I complete my course. Can I have my assessments graded faster?

Sorry but we have lots of students who are all very eager to complete their studies and are in the same position. We try our best to provide a 10 working day turnaround time from submission to grading. Please plan your studies carefully as we are unable to take any requests for priority grading.

Can I submit assessment pieces via my smartphone or tablet?

All assessment tasks are to be typed & submitted as an Adobe PDF format. If your smartphone/tablet has Adobe Reader app and you are able to submit work in this format, you do so much in the same way you would on a laptop/desktop.

I have a query for student support – how quickly can I get help?

Our Student Support officers are available Monday to Friday from 8.30am – 5pm. We aim to return students’ phone calls within the same day, and within 24hrs for emails and messages via the LMS depending on the request type.

Can I check my fee balance at any time?

I am a sports physiotherapist with over 20-years experience in the health and fitness industries and currently operate a small business in the fitness and health sector on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. I have worked with the Australian Fitness Academy on several occasions and found them to be a company with outstanding standards and an excellent example of a provider of training services in the fitness industry